Worlds of BirdsRehabilitating Cape Town's Wildlife

WORDS Erica Harrison

More than four decades ago Walter Mangold was an average Capetonian who had a knack for taking care of sick or injured birds that he came across in his local area. Word quickly spread and he was soon dubbed the ‘Bird Man’, with people constantly handing in injured birds to him to care for. His undeniable passion to help wildlife evolved, and in the mid 1970s he opened World of Birds in Hout Bay, a sanctuary where he housed and cared for his hundreds of injured birds and small mammals, giving them hope for a healthier and safe life. Today, World of Birds is the largest bird park in Africa and is home to more than 3,000 animals that range from squawking macaws to cheeky monkeys.

Their aim is to support conservation by propagating rare birds and mammals in a protective environment that is as natural for them as possible. Photo: Erica Harrison

From the moment I entered World of Birds, the cheers and giggles of children running around, pointing in awe at eccentric and colourful chirping creatures filled my senses and I immediately felt at ease. This is my kind of place, a place where animals are valued and cared for in vast aviaries, with plenty of room to stretch their wings. With more than 300 species spread out over 151 aviaries, over 100 of which are large interactive walk-through enclosures, World of Birds really is a haven for the many sick, injured and endangered species of Cape Town.

Hendrik and Claire approach me, hands outstretched as they lead me to a casual outdoor table and chair setting. ‘Thanks for coming’ Hendrik says, taking a seat, even though it was I who sought him out. Hendrick Louw is the general manager of World of Birds, and Claire Peche, the head curator. With a combined experience of 45 years working at World of Birds, they know the sanctuary inside out and revel at the opportunity to showcase the incredible work that goes on here, and the difference it makes to Cape Town’s wildlife.

A day in the life

The primary aim of the sanctuary is to help sick and injured animals through rehabilitation programmes, and to increase numbers of endangered species through preservation and breeding programmes. It serves not only as a sanctuary for public viewing, but also as an animal hospital, orphanage and breeding centre, with 200 at-risk birds and animals being handed in every average month. There was even a period during the mass veld fires in Cape Town in 2015 where up to 300 birds and animals were being handed in each day. ‘That was a crazy time but you have to be prepared for anything and be able to provide care even under pressure,’ Hendrik says.

“Our mission is to bring wildlife and people intimately closer together, so that respect for an understanding of nature is fostered and appreciation for God’s beautiful creation in its diversity is shared.”

Claire tells me the majority of their patients are victims of cat attacks, have been hit by cars or other vehicles, or during breeding season many baby chicks are injured falling from their nests. ‘Breeding season is always a busy time with injured chicks being handed in that require very special medical treatment,’ she says. After being seen by a vet, these patients go straight to the rehabilitation centre to try to get them healed and strong enough to be released back in to the wild. Sadly, only about 20% of birds and animals handed in to the sanctuary are released back to the wild, and the remainder make World of Birds their permanent home. Claire explains that most of the birds they see have damaged their wings in particular. This type of injury is generally easy to treat to the extent that the bird will be able to fly again, but they rarely regain enough strength to be able to defend themselves in the wild, and therefore are unable to be released. However, Claire notes that when they are able to release any of the animals, it is her favourite part of the job. ‘It’s a very rewarding feeling… knowing that what you’re doing is actually making a difference,’ she says proudly.

World of Birds wants to bring wildlife to the public and show that nature and urban development can be compatible. Photo: Erica Harrison

Assisting in the breeding of endangered species is also paramount to their mission. World of Birds is currently the only organisation worldwide to have successfully bred the ground hornbill bird. Not only did they orchestrate the only successful breeding programme, but are lucky enough to have five healthy chicks. ‘It’s a great achievement for us, it’s very exciting,’ Hendrik beamed.

From the crew

The sanctuary is never boring, and it seems like there is always something eventful happening, whether it be the birth of a new addition to the World of Birds family, or an escaped monkey. Hendrik recounts one of the funnier moments of his time at the sanctuary, where a particularly adventurous and inquisitive monkey escaped and was gallivanting around Hout Bay. Hendrik received a call from a local woman who alerted him to their missing member. ‘We went to her property, and there he was, sitting in her yard eating a banana,’ he chuckled. Hendrik tells me how he slowly crept up to the monkey with a net hiding behind his back, put his hand out for the monkey to shake, and then quickly captured him. ‘He would always love to shake your hand, but after that day he gave me the silent treatment for a while, every time I put my hand out,’ Hendrik laughed.

The sanctuary is never boring, and it seems like there is always something eventful happening, whether it be the birth of a new addition to the World of Birds family, or an escaped monkey. Hendrik recounts one of the funnier moments of his time at the sanctuary, where a particularly adventurous and inquisitive monkey escaped and was gallivanting around Hout Bay. Hendrik received a call from a local woman who alerted him to their missing member. ‘We went to her property, and there he was, sitting in her yard eating a banana,’ he chuckled. Hendrik tells me how he slowly crept up to the monkey with a net hiding behind his back, put his hand out for the monkey to shake, and then quickly captured him. ‘He would always love to shake your hand, but after that day he gave me the silent treatment for a while, every time I put my hand out,’ Hendrik laughed.

Fundraising & support

World of Birds is an independent institution and they receive no government funding. 70% of their funds come from entrance costs to the sanctuary, so they rely heavily on public attendance. The other 30% of their funds come from donations, and occasionally they receive media requests such as filming for advertisements and wildlife programmes. All money earned from media commissions goes back in to the sanctuary to make improvements and pay for bedding and food for the animals. However, Hendrik stresses that they do not like to be too heavily involved in media, as it is easy for the animals to be exploited. He notes that jobs where animals have to sit or stand in the same position for an extended period of time are not fair on the animal and World of Birds does not involve themselves in any behaviour like this. Hendrik would rather earn money in a way that respects the animal.

World of Birds often reaches out to the public and asks for people to donate materials such as newspaper that can be used for bedding for the animals, but they prefer not to accept food donations such as fruit and vegetables, as they want to ensure that the quality of the food they give the animals is of the highest possible calibre. ‘If you give birds unhealthy food then you’ll have unhealthy birds,’ Hendrik said. He notes that the time it takes to sift through big deliveries of produce and assess the quality actually costs more money in time and labour than buying the food themselves.

The sanctuary also serves as an animal hospital, orphanage and breeding centre. The organisation cares for injured birds and mammals, and breeds many endangered species. Photo: Erica Harrison

Change starts with education

Hendrik and Claire both agree that education about wildlife is immensely important and it should start from an early age, at school. Lots of school excursions come though World of Birds for educational purposes. Every enclosure has written information about the animals, so groups of school children, or just individuals from the public, can easily walk through the sanctuary and read the information at their own pace. This enables consistent education and learning for anyone who attends World of Birds. Hendrik also speaks with school excursion groups from time to time, giving additional information to the children and also demonstrating how to handle the birds so that the children can see them up close.

Education has become increasingly important in recent times due to factors such as the changing environmental landscape and global warming, which Claire believes heavily impacts wildlife on a global and local scale. Claire says that global warming has likely contributed to changes in the migration and breeding patterns of some birds. This causes there to be a much higher number of particular birds, such as crows, in the wild in Cape Town. Claire says that this is an issue because these birds take over particular areas of Cape Town and become pests, plus there’s not enough food for such high numbers.

Claire explains that educating youths and adults about the environment and how our actions affect wildlife is vital. This even relates to little things such as littering, which has a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of wildlife. Sadly, she acknowledges that although it is important, it can be difficult to encourage people to be responsible for the health and wellbeing of animals when human poverty is such a prevalent issue in South Africa. Animals often take a back seat to humans, especially when they are living in poor conditions themselves. However, Claire stresses that this is why education is so important, and why staff at World of Birds enjoy teaching their visitors about wildlife conservation so that hopefully their perceptions can be changed.

Located in Hout Bay valley, the World of Birds sanctuary cares for hundreds of animals that are handed in from the local area, which is filled with wildlife. Photo: Erica Harrison

Next on the agenda

World of Birds has been operating for over forty years – a pretty spectacular feat. Having started from a local ‘Bird Man’ and now being the largest bird park in Africa, it’s no wonder Claire and Hendrik are proud of how far the sanctuary has come. And for the future? Hendrik hopes that one day they will have a veterinary clinic on site at the sanctuary so that their animals do not have to travel for treatment. All donations to World of Birds are immensely appreciated and will go towards making this goal a reality. Hendrik and Claire encourage anyone to make a donation, or better yet, take a drive to the sanctuary and make a feathery, or furry, friend and see the incredible work happening there for yourself.